Can't Help Myself
by Sorceress Fantasia
Summary: Fusion with Hana Yori Dango. Duo’s life at his university is turned upside down when he offends W4. And the situation escalates when he meets Heero Yuy, the leader of W4. Discontinued.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Can't Help Myself Part 1 

Author: Sorceress Fantasia 

Pairings: 2+5, 5+S, Solo+2, eventual 1+2 and various others 

Warnings: AU, fusion fic, OOC-ness, sappiness at times, some angst, OCs 

Archive: Lev's Lair 

Fanfiction.net 

MediaMiner 

Disclaimer: I tried to lure Duo over to my place with a trail of food, but Heero lured him away with some strawberries and whipped cream. Currently, I'm trying to lose the weight I got from eating all the food Duo didn't eat, so I don't have the time to come up with another plot to get the GW boys. Therefore, I do not own the GW boys or the anime. Neither do I own any of the brand names mentioned in this fic, or even the drama series this fic is fused with. I own this little ficcy though. 

Note: Fusion with a drama serial called 'Meteor Garden', which is actually an adaptation from a manga called Hana Yori Dango. Some names have been changed however. 

Thanx to Duo-chan for beta-ing! ^^

Rays of sunshine peeked through the thick foliage, kissing down on the lone person traveling down the road lightly. His motorbike tooted along slowly, disrupting the tranquility of the avenue. But the rider didn't mind. Even though the bike was old and loud, he loved it to bits and had even affectionately dubbed it Deathscythe. After all, he had paid for it, worked on it, and it did its part by ferrying him to his destinations. However, there were times when he absolutely hated the thing, and that 'time' included now. 

Deathscythe suddenly stopped moving in the middle of the road, its engine completely silent. When the bike refused to budge despite his attempts at starting it again, he slapped his forehead and groaned out loud, "Not again… It's the third time this week! Deathscythe baby, you can't do this to me!" He got down his bike, and stared at it, willing its engine to rev up again. No good. The bike was probably already immune to his glares. Sighing, he started to push his baby towards his destination. 

Just as he was thanking God that school was only a short distance away, he heard the distinctive sound of a vehicle coming. Turning around, he saw a luxurious pink limo driving into view and rolled his eyes. Pink limo. How disgusting was that? And the only person on the campus, and most probably in the whole world, who dared to ride in a thing like that had to be Relena Peacecraft. No one else would risk his or her dignity that way. 

The limo stopped beside the unlucky guy, and the window scrolled down to reveal a blonde girl. She was a beautiful girl, Relena. Really. As it was, she was one of the hottest honeys in their school and charmed men to boot with her honey blonde locks and blue eyes. Still, it couldn't make up for her personality enough to make her bearable. 

"The bike broke down again, Duo? You should get a new one, you know?" She frowned distastefully at the boy. "And just look at the grease on that thing. It's disgusting!" 

Duo sighed, wiping at his forehead with a careless swipe. If he had the money to repair Deathscythe, he would. "Yeah, yeah. I know that, Relena. And there's no grease on my bike. It's probably your eyes." 

She shook her head with a sigh, and dug in her handbag. It took a while, but she smiled when she apparently found what she wanted. "Here, have some tissue. Well, I'll be going first. See you in school." She waved lightly at Duo, and was about to instruct her chauffeur to continue to school, when she suddenly turned back to the braided boy. "Oh, I almost forgot about it. Make sure you return the tissue pocket to me later. It's Chanel." 

He winced at the brand name, and took a closer look at the mentioned tissue pocket. Still eying it, he vaguely heard Relena complaining as her limo drove away. 

"If it weren't for you, our school would have been recorded into the Guinness World Records… Except for you, everyone is chauffeured to school…" 

The American boy pouted, glaring at the offending limo driving away. With a deep sigh, he wondered why he had decided to come to this school in the first place. As it was, his family could barely afford the school fees. And he didn't exactly fit in with all the rich boys and girls in the school. He didn't know what they were talking about half the time. He still remembered the last time some of the girls had talked about a Burberry; he thought they were talking about some new fruit cake. Luckily, he had kept his mouth shut so he didn't manage to embarrass himself. 

Shaking his head, he continued to push Deathscythe into the school compound. 

***** 

It was at least ten minutes before he reached his school, and he heaved a sigh of relief as he pushed his beloved motorbike in the school bicycle shed, along with the bikes of the school servants. The weather had gotten pretty hot by the time he was at the school gate, and Duo thought he would dehydrate if he couldn't get something to drink soon. Grabbing his bag, he was about to walk to his locker when he heard a familiar voice call him. 

"Hey, Duo!" 

Duo spun around, smiling when he saw who it was. "Oh! Hi, Uncle G!" 

The old man gave a gruff laugh. "Hello to you too, young man! Bike problems again? I saw you pushing it in," he asked, pointing at the black motorbike. 

Duo nodded resignedly. "Yeah, but it's okay. I'll just fix it after school. By the way, can you take care of my lunch box for me? I'll collect it during lunch period." He dug out his lunch box from his bag, and handed it over to the old man. It wasn't that he didn't like the food at school, but everything was just too expensive and over his budget. If he ate just once in the cafeteria, it would burn a large hole in his pocket and wallet. 

G took it without protest. He had, after all, been used to this. "Of course, Duo. I swear, you are the only student here at Gundam University who knows what a rice cooker looks like!" 

The boy laughed, thinking that it was possibly true. With a curt 'goodbye', he ran for his locker. Class was starting soon. 

***** 

Relena's limo finally came to a halt outside the school campus. She stepped out elegantly, and straightened her dress. It had just been ironed and pressed, and she would throw a fit if it had even a wrinkle on it. But there wasn't, and she strutted away proudly. Without so much as a 'thank you' to her chauffeur, Pargan, she walked into the school compound. Relena reveled in the attention she was getting from everyone, knowing that she was looking stunning. But then again, she looked stunning everyday. Suddenly, she saw a flash of yellow in the corner of her eye and she turned to her right. 

'Dorothy!' She recognized her best friend immediately and smiled lopsidedly. It was time to show off her new baby and make her friend jealous. Relena gave her handbag a few twirls, and slung it behind her shoulder effortlessly, making sure Dorothy could see the brand logo clearly. 

'What? A Prada handbag? Is that all?' Dorothy sneered, lips curled in a winning grin. She grabbed one side of her trench coat, and pulled it backwards so that Relena could see her treasure. 

The honey blonde's jaws dropped a little. 'Damn! A Burberry trench coat! Where did she get that? And it must have cost at least a few thousand bucks! Ahh… but all's not lost yet!' She smirked back, and she leaned towards Dorothy. Fingering her diamond necklace fasten around her throat, she laughed mentally as she saw the utter shock on her friend's face. 

Dorothy gritted her teeth, recognizing the necklace straight away. It was the limited edition of the newest product from Tiffany and Co. The pendent was completely covered with glittery diamonds, and it came with a silver chain that just accentuated its loveliness. And it was the dream of many girls like herself. However, she had failed to get one, despite her numerous connections to get it when it was first launched. The blonde girl scowled as Relena smiled wider, eyes glimmering with a twinkle of haughtiness as though she was taunting her, 'Don't you have anything else?' For a while, Dorothy could only frown. Then suddenly, she remembered that she did have something else and her face split in a grin again. She beckoned her friend with one long slender finger, and said, "Come closer, 'Lena. Look at my face." 

Relena knitted her brows, not understanding why. But she did as she was told, scrutinizing Dorothy's face. However, when she lifted her face higher, Relena saw it. "Oh my god…! Julia Robert's nose!" 

"Uh-huh. I just got it for US$50,000 in USA this summer holiday. Aren't you envious?" Dorothy grinned winningly, knowing that she had emerged the victor in their little competition. 

"Oh! No wonder I couldn't find you the entire summer! You were in USA, having the plastic surgery!" Relena exclaimed as realization dawn on her. 

The forked eyebrow girl smiled triumphantly, crossing her arms. "Right. And where did you try to find me?" 

"Paris, of course!" Relena answered as a matter-of-factly. 

"Paris?! Don't be silly, my girl!" Her laughter rang out loud. "That place is old already! I've been there at least a dozen times!" 

And the two of them started comparing the various places they thought were worthy of vacationing in as they started for their lockers, ignoring the blatant stares their conversation were garnering them. 

***** 

Duo opened his locker, and skillfully missed the deluge of books falling out. Laughing nervously at his good luck, he picked up his books and stuffed them back. Humming a soft tune, he took out his textbooks for his next lesson. Peering sideways, he saw his good friend picking at her locker. He had just gotten to know her this year, both of them freshmen, but she was such a nice person every time he saw her. Then Duo noticed the book she was holding in her hands and asked, "Hey, Midii. What's that book you're holding?" 

She blinked, and glanced at him. Following his line of vision, she pointed at her book. "Oh, this one? Well, I referred to this book for my essay. The economics essay we're supposed to hand in today? Remember?" 

"I know. But I thought the professor told us to use this one." He held up his copy. 

Midii nodded, shutting her locker gently. "Yeah, but I think that Doctor S has got very high expectations of his students, so I referred to his books instead. The one he recommended us doesn't have enough contents, I think. But don't worry, Duo. Maybe I'm just overly suspicious." 

"I guess so. You must be. Doctor S told us to use this one," Duo replied, more to assure himself than Midii. She had been admitted into the school on a prestigious scholarship, and she was still getting good results in university. He, on the other hand, had barely made the mark. Studies weren't exactly his strong suit, he told himself. Again, he found himself wondering what he was doing in a university as good as this one. 

Gathering their books, they walked to their classroom together just in time for their civics class. When they reached there, however, they were confused as to why was everyone standing outside the classroom. To make their curiosity even harder to bear, everyone was peeking inside and whispering among themselves. Shooting each other a perplexed look, they quickly squeezed their way through the crowd to see a lone boy inside, packing his bag. He looked scrawny and frail under his pale face that was framed by wispy locks that seemed as lifeless as the boy himself. He was ghoulish even, moving with slow and almost limp movements that vaguely reminded Duo of a zombie. 

He frowned, recognizing the boy inside, and he elbowed Midii lightly. "Hey, isn't that Alex? What happened to him?" Duo whispered. If it weren't for the boy's bleached hair, he wouldn't even make out whom it was. Duo had remembered Alex as an energetic young man who was forever sporting and laughing, and he shuddered to even think what had made this boy to become what he was now. 

Midii gave said boy a sympathetic glance, and answered just as softly, "Haven't you heard? He's been forced to leave Gundam University." She bit her bottom lip and frowned. Then she added in a whisper, "Actually, he offended W4." 

The American boy looked at her in disbelief, unsure of whether he had heard wrongly. Surely it wasn't that! "He offended W4? And that's why he's leaving? Good grief!" 

Then he remembered that a while ago, Alex had publicly condemned the actions of W4, a troupe of four boys who were unmistakably the most influential people in the school. He had thought that they were just a bunch of bullies who didn't know how to treat a human being like one, especially after they had forced one of his friends out of school as well. 

'So what if you're W4? I'm not scared of you!' Alex's voice echoed in Duo's mind, sounding exceedingly hollow now. 

The second day, Alex had received a distinctive red note from W4, stuck firmly on his locker door. It was like time had frozen when he saw that red note glaring at Alex, and the boy's face had turned ashen. Whispers rang out softly around him like a mantra asking him to leave immediately, and then, the pranks started. 

Duo gazed at the undeniably pale boy stumbling out of the classroom, and he felt Midii pull him back. Then he noticed it; everyone was avoiding Alex like he was the plague, as though one would die if one came into contact with him. Or be at the receiving end of another of W4's red note, Duo thought angrily. Just who were they to do this to a fellow schoolmate? 

But Midii pulled him into the classroom quickly before he had a chance to go talk to Alex. 

"Now class, it's a shame that Alex had to leave us now that we've finally gotten to know each other," the teacher, Mr. Roberts, started. He usually droned on the most boring of topics, and everyone slept in his class. But today, Duo felt that at least this teacher knew what was wrong and what was right. It was obvious that Alex was just a victim, but everyone just happily ignored that fact. 

"But really, maybe it's better that he left us. Otherwise, he would have polluted your minds with his silly ideals. Now, while I'm not entirely sure what he did, but it must have been a very bad thing to incur W4's wrath." 

And Duo's face fell. Standing up, he stared at Mr. Roberts unwaveringly. "I don't feel well. I need to go to the toilet," he said monotonously, and he promptly marched out of class. 

Midii stared at his retreating back, apparently flustered. But she didn't quite dare leave class now. Already, the tension created by Duo's interruption was rather thick. 

Duo ran up the stairs to the rooftop, and gazed at the skies above him. It was clear blue, and the freshness of the air made him feel free again. Compared to the school he was in, the skies were indeed the heavens. Suddenly, Duo wanted to fly away and never come back. Then he recalled the trouble his parents had gone through just to secure a spot for him in this godforsaken university, and he gritted his teeth. 

"Stupid school… What's with everyone here anyway? Who do they think W4 is? God?" he muttered, punching his fist in the air. Taking another deep breath, he looked imploringly at the skies again. 

***** 

By the time the night blanket had fallen over the sky, draping the world in a shroud of darkness, Duo was still pretty much irritated by the entire issue. In fact, it bothered him so much he grumbled it all to his ex-classmate, Hirde, at the cake shop where they were both working. It was just fortunate that the shop was situated at a quiet district in the city, and there weren't a lot of customers even at their busiest. Probably because the place offered only a small variety of cakes and tarts, almost like it was the doing of a woman who had too much time to kill in her own kitchen. And their boss wasn't around most of the time, giving the two of them, the only ones working there, all the privacy they needed. 

"Wow, so this W4 is really kinda something, huh?" Hirde commented offhandedly, wiping the countertop. A customer had placed his coffee there earlier, and there was a dried brown ring there now. She swabbed harder at it when it wouldn't come off, and added, "Even the teachers are afraid of them." 

Duo nodded, still huffing. He still found it hard to swallow the events of that afternoon. The nerve of it all! Replacing a spoon in the basket that held the cutleries for their customers, he answered, "I heard that their families are the founders of this university, and right now, they're the main source of funding, I guess." 

Hirde promptly did a double take. "Funding? They've got to be really damn rich to fund a place that big and luxurious!" 

"If I'm not wrong, their families have got a ranking in the top ten richest families in the entire country." 

"WOW!" she exclaimed, tossing the cloth aside in her shock. "So now they're not only handsome, but filthy rich too?" 

Duo raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "What gives you the idea that they're handsome?" 

"It's how the stories go. Rich, young guys are always handsome," Hirde stated smugly, her arms akimbo. "Maybe you should go seduce one of them and you'll never have to work again." She sniggered, thinking up all the scenarios that involved a sexy Duo and a completely enraptured rich young man. It was lucky that she remembered to pull herself back to reality or get teased to death for drooling. 

Duo groaned, slapping his forehead in sheer disbelief. He thought Hirde had more sense than this. "Good god! Why would I want to date someone like that? They're arrogant, rude, and insufferable jerks that think that they can do anything they want just because they've got money to throw in your face. And besides, all that money don't belong to them! It's their parents'! They're all just leeches, leeching their parents' hard-earned money like that!" 

Hirde gulped, staring hard at her friend. It wasn't that Duo was the most docile guy she'd known; in fact, Duo had never been one to suffer in silence and would do anything to right something he felt wasn't correct. Still, it had been a while since she had seen such an outburst from Duo. 

"Hey, I was just kidding. You don't have to take it so hard," she said, hoping to ease the tension that had just built up. "Who's W4 anyway? I mean, what's their names?" 

Her smooth change of topic did indeed placate Duo somewhat, and he scrunched up his eyebrows to recall all the names. It wasn't as if he knew them on a first name basis; in fact, he hadn't even met them mano e mano yet. 

"Erm, there's this one called Trowa Barton. He's the sporty one. You know, the type that just seems to scream actions, always moving around here and there. Haven't really heard a lot about him, but I do know that he's got this trademarked hairdo that's got half his face obscured by his bangs. And they're really spiky, kinda like porcupine quills, if you ask me," Duo said, eliciting a giggle from Hirde. 

"Then there's Quatre… Quatre something Winner, can't remember his full name. Anyway, he's the blonde one, and supposedly, the 'Mr. Nice Guy' to girls. There's a whole horde of girls who are his personal fans, but I don't think a lot of them actually has the guts to go up to him for a real conversation because he's always with the other three." 

Hirde nodded, apparently a little enraptured by the description of the blonde guy. She was already imagining Brad Pitt in her mind. 

Duo ignored her dreamy gazes, knowing that she'd come back to earth once he started talking again anyway. Having known her for so many years, he'd come to accept the way that she was. 

"And there's this Chang Wufei. Jet black hair tied into a short ponytail, almond-shaped obsidian eyes…" He shrugged. "Good looking, I supposed, but he always looks as if he's not there. He doesn't talk much, as far as I can tell, so he just kinda fades into the background with the other three around." 

"So you admit that at least one of them is attractive, huh?" Hirde teased. 

He mock-glared at her. "Fine, but good looking doesn't mean a great personality," he huffed, crossing his arms and lips almost caught in a pout. "Anyway, the last one of them is called Heero Yuy, and he seems to be the leader of the gang. He's also the most vile one of them all, I've heard." 

Hirde blinked. "Yuy? As in, *the* Yuy Corporation?" 

"You've… you've heard of them?" Duo asked guardedly, already narrowing his eyes. There was something in her tone that he didn't really like. 

"But of course! If he's from the Yuy family I'm talking about, then he is really, friggin' rich," she said, punctuating her last few words with emphasis. "The Yuy Corporation has got businesses in just about everything there is to do in the world. If something can make money and reap profits, they've got a share of the market." She snapped her fingers, looking solemn for once. 

Duo cocked his head. "How… How in the world did you know all these?" Hirde wasn't always the most informed of people, that much he knew. 

"Read it somewhere. I think it was daddy's 'Business Times'." 

"So he's that rich? I didn't know that…" he trailed off thoughtfully. At least now he had an inkling of an idea just why the people in school were that afraid of Heero Yuy. Being rude and violent was just one thing. The guy probably had enough cash to bribe himself out of just anything and still have some left to drown someone in. 

She nodded. "You'd better not do anything funny to offend them. Rich guys like them never lose," she said seriously, jabbing her words with a poke of her finger. 

For a moment, Duo wanted to prove her wrong. But the logical part of him surfaced, and he found himself agreeing with his friend, however reluctantly. It just wasn't worth all the trouble he'd undoubtedly get into. And then maybe he'd get expelled from the university too, just like Alex. 

"By the way, why W4? What does it mean anyway?" Hirde asked, scrunching her brows in concentration. "Don't tell me it stands for Wallflower Four?" 

Duo gave her a look that clearly indicated how absurd that guess was. After all, how could the four richest, most well known guys in the university be wallflowers? Wolverine Four would probably be more appropriate, if you were referring to their social behavior… what with Heero Yuy always trying to snap someone's head off… 

"I would say that they're Wally Four, Wise guys Four… or something else too vulgar for a lady's ears, not that you're one, mind you…" he snorted, and quickly dodged a smack. "But well, I heard that it stands for Wing Four." 

Hirde frowned in distaste. "Wing Four? What, they want to flap their arms and start flying? They'll probably break something. And that name sounds like it's taken from some cheesy cartoons… Eww… that is so gross, for four guys their age." 

"I know. They're just a couple of wacky, silly blooming idiots, in my *humble* opinion." 

"Right. Still, even if they *are* flowers, they're probably snapdragons, so it's best if you steer clear of their way." 

***** 

Duo dusted off his shoes, and took them off. Placing them on a small shoe rack beside the door, he yelled, "Dad? Mom? I'm home!" 

There was a shuffling inside the kitchen, and a muffled response to welcome him home. His mother was probably cooking dinner, he reasoned. But a glance at his watch told him otherwise. It was far too late to be making dinner now. Supper then? Maybe his dad and gotten hungry again, just like he was. Duo sniggered as he recalled all the times his mother had compared their stomachs with bottomless pits. 

Then his mother came out of the kitchen. 

"Hi, honey. How was school today? And work?" she asked, gently smiling. Mrs. Maxwell was a petite woman who looked younger than she actually was, with golden hair and azure eyes. Seeing her, Duo felt the last of his day's fatigue fade away. 

"Fine to both, mom. You cooking something?" 

She rolled her eyes, letting out a pseudo sigh. "When am I not? I swear you and your dad are always hungry. You two can eat nearly anything." 

"And everything!" he added cheekily, and followed her into the kitchen. Seeing the few slices of pizza on the table, still piping hot and smoking, he quickly grabbed a slice. It was probably leftover from dinner, but it could still satisfy his tummy that was threatening to revolt soon. 

She gasped. "Slowly, Duo! It's still hot! You'll burn your tongue!" Then she noticed that it apparently had no effect on her son, and she sighed, "Just leave some for you dad, would you?" 

He nodded as she left the kitchen. Despite his mother's slight admonition, he smiled, feeling the warmth of the pizza seeping into him. Sure, his family wasn't the most well off of families in the world, especially so when compared to that of W4, but he had the best parents one could ever ask for. The lack of money didn't really matter that much, after all. 

Sorceress Fantasia @ 30th September 2003 

Last beta-ed 9th October 2003 


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Can't Help Myself Part 2 

Author: Sorceress Fantasia 

Pairings: 2+5, 5+S, Solo+2, eventual 1+2 and various others 

Warnings: AU, fusion fic, OOC-ness, sappiness at times, some angst, OCs, language 

Archive: Lev's Lair 

Fanfiction.net 

MediaMiner 

Disclaimer: I tried to lure Duo over to my place with a trail of food, but Heero lured him away with some strawberries and whipped cream. Currently, I'm trying to lose the weight I got from eating all the food Duo didn't eat, so I don't have the time to come up with another plot to get the GW boys. Therefore, I do not own the GW boys or the anime. Neither do I own the drama serial this fic is based on. Thankfully, I own this little ficcy though. 

Note: Fusion with a drama serial called 'Meteor Garden', which is actually an adaptation from a manga called Hana Yori Dango. Some names have been changed however. 

Thanx to Duo-chan for beta-ing! ^^ 

Trowa gulped down another shot of his whiskey, and nearly winced when a well-aimed strike pocketed the last of the balls on the snooker table. 

"Looks like you've won." 

His opponent, a well-dressed blonde boy, looked up from the table. Mentally tabulating the final scores, he shrugged. "Looks like it," he replied, replacing his cue. "Care for another game?" 

"No, I've had enough for tonight. Ask Heero instead." 

Quatre gave him a 'look'. "You're kidding me, right? You know how he hates playing snooker," he said flatly. "You sure you don't want another game?" 

Trowa nodded, and downed another shot. He'd enough of losing for one night. Quatre was easily the best snooker player out of all the people he knew, and that was probably why Heero hated to play with him too. Oh, Heero excelled in nearly every other sport, but snooker was definitely the blonde's domain. 

"Hey, Wufei! Want a game of snooker?" Quatre hollered for his other friend who was currently glued to the bar counter, sipping his drink quietly. Glued was perhaps less appropriate compared to super-glued, for Wufei barely spared him a glance and a firm shake of his head. "We didn't come to the bar to get smashed, you know?" he tried again, but still to no avail. Finally, he sighed. Were there no worthy opponents anymore? 

Heero strolled over nonchalantly, tinkling the ice in his Jack Daniels against the glass. Noticing Quatre's little outburst, he raised an eyebrow, but knew better than to ask. If anything, the blonde would try and bait him on a game of snooker. He was clever with words that way. Heero was about to join Wufei at the bar counter when he felt someone latch onto his arm, and he dignified the person with a dark glare. 

It was a foxy temptress, if he were any judge. She was sultry looking, fully decked out in the most provocative outfit possible. 

"Hey, handsome. Wanna play?" She winked coyly, rubbing her full bosom against his hand. 

He barely spared her another glance before shrugging her off roughly, and she stumbled back. Were it not for a table behind her, she would have fallen flat on her butt. Vaguely, Heero thought he heard Quatre 'tsk' at him, but he could care less for a woman like this one. Besides, if he wanted, he could always find one easily. After all, he was young, rich and handsome; no one had ever refused him before. Quatre could jolly well help the woman if he liked. 

But apparently, someone shared Quatre's sentiments. A gruff looking man stepped up and snapped, "Hey! You don't treat a girl like this!" 

Heero ignored him, and turned to move away. The man, feeling offended at being taken so lightly of, reached out for his shoulder. Oh, he would teach this one a good lesson! But Heero was much faster, and all he heard was the shattering of a glass before he was already sailing through the air. He fell to the ground with a loud thud, recoiling like a crushed bug and cradling his jaws that were rapidly bruising up. 

Almost immediately, a group of men, probably his companions, ditched their seats and headed threateningly for Heero. By this time, the other patrons of the bar had already scuttled off, which was definitely a clever move. Heero, never one to back down from a fight, quickly took down another one. Trowa and Quatre gave each other a sideward glance, and with a nod towards the crowd, launched themselves into the brawl as well. 

Behind him, bodies were falling around in a tangle of limbs as though they were bowling pins. Wufei calmly took another sip of his drink, and stood up. Slapping a few thousand-dollar bills on the counter, he said levelly, "This is for tonight's compensation." And he left without another word, ignoring the fight still going on. 

The bartender quickly pocketed the money and ran for cover just before an empty glass came flying his way. 

***** 

Duo adjusted his book bag on his shoulders again for the third time in ten minutes. It was crazy, but his shoulders were aching. Probably because the springs in his bed were threatening to pop out sometime soon. He hadn't even gotten a decent night's rest. If it were possible, he would change his bed for the new one he had seen in the stores the other day. But with the tight financial status of his family now, it was pretty much just impossible. 

And then there was school. Assignments seemed to be coming at him in a deluge, and he was already having problems catching up with the lecturers. Peering at his friend beside him, he found himself almost envious of her since he knew she had completely no problems with that. After all, she had a scholarship. 

"Midii, how in the world do you manage to stay so perky even in school? Aren't you even the least bit tired?" he asked, punctuating his words with a yawn. 

She glanced at him, still joyfully nursing her can of coke as they walked across a corridor. "Well no. School's been fine lately, don't you think?" 

Duo wanted to roll his eyes and snort, but thought better of it. It wasn't Midii's fault that she was intelligent. 

"And besides, you should stay perky in school or you'll just feel tired. Look on the bright side, Duo," she said, getting ahead of Duo and twirling around to smile at him. "Remember: you can choose to be happy or upset. Isn't it obvious that you should always choose the first one?" 

She's had too much sugary stuff, Duo thought as Midii flailed her can of coke around. Then, he noticed the steps. 

"Midii! Look out for the steps behind you!" 

But the warning came a little too late, and she lost her footing. She nearly tumbled down the stairs were it not for someone holding her up. Duo was almost thankful for that, but then he cursed their luck when he saw just whom it was Midii had crushed into. And the worst thing was the can of coke had apparently emptied itself on the person's shirt, and the previously white shirt was sporting a huge brown stain. 

Midii noticed it too, and quickly apologized, "I'm sorry! I'll clean it for you!" 

However, Heero Yuy was not that easily appeased, apparently. He glared menacingly at her and sneered snidely, "You think a mere 'sorry' will solve everything?" And he shoved her into the wall, not even caring when she slumped down against it with a dead thump. 

Quatre sighed at Heero's violent tendencies again, but did nothing to help the fallen girl. It would only ruffle Heero's feathers the wrong way, and the girl would be in greater trouble. Wufei and Trowa seemed to not notice anything. 

Seeing Midii's slumped form, Duo felt his anger rising again. W4 was just a bunch of brutes that knew nothing beyond spending money and terrorizing others. But he couldn't afford to offend them. He would be chased out of the school. That couldn't happen. And Hirde's warnings resounded in his mind again. 

_"You'd better not do anything funny to offend them. Rich guys like them never lose." _

"How could you do that to a girl! Have you no heart!?" 

When four pair of eyes turned to him, Duo knew that the words were already out of his mouth. Oh no, he thought. What was wrong with his mouth anyway? Didn't it take signals from his brains? 

Heero glowered at him, and he mentally gulped. Trouble was imminent, and there was no way to avoid it, it seemed. 

"What did you say?" 

His voice was ominous, venomous even, like a snake snarling and baring its fangs. 

Duo knew he should apologize, or perhaps even run away and hope that he wouldn't be recognized again. But his mouth wouldn't cooperate. 

"I said you're heartless! And you have no dignity, hitting a harmless girl! She didn't mean to do it! And it was just an accident! It's not like you'd die with a stained shirt! Don't you have loads of other things to wear!? You're just a bunch of bullies who don't know anything beyond terrorizing others and spending your parents' money like a leeching parasite!" he yelled, matching the other glare for glare. He just hoped that his glare carried as much menace, even though it was highly unlikely since Duo could feel his heart sinking like a chunk of lead. 

He had definitely chosen the wrong person to offend. 

Duo did not see Heero's next move, but he vaguely heard someone whistle in appreciation and then his chin was caught in a harsh grip. He tried not to yield, but Heero easily lifted his chin upwards, forcing eye contact. And he barely resisted the urge to flinch at the sight of the deep, dark blue eyes. 

"You've got guts, I see. But you're not going to stay on for long," Heero spat, then jostled him against the wall as well. He promptly left, and the other three members of W4 followed. 

Duo leaned heavily against the wall and finally stood up, feeling slightly disoriented. Looking up, he noticed Quatre give him a sympathetic glance, and Trowa threw him a grin. Wufei didn't seem to notice anything, quietly walking behind the ringleader with his hands in his pockets. 

It was at that moment, at the sight of their retreating backs, and at the sight of his friend still lying beside him, that Duo knew he was in deep trouble. 

***** 

Duo bit his lip as he ambled across the breezy avenue that led to his campus. Only yesterday had he offended the most influential and richest W4 in the entire school, and he was already getting cold feet. He wanted to stay home, damn it! And maybe, just maybe, the whole incident would be forgotten in a few days time. 

Fat chance, he thought to himself. Reputation alone would cause W4 to retaliate. What would happen to him? Would he see the distinctive red note when he opened his locker, just like Alex had? Or would he get kidnapped somewhere and get the hell beaten out of him? Or even get murdered? Heero Yuy did say that he wasn't going to stay around for long. Duo shuddered at the last thought. 

'Chill out! It can't be that bad! It's the death sentence for murder! Even a rich guy like Heero Yuy wouldn't do that, now would he? And get into all that trouble?' Duo mused, although a tiny part of him cleverly pointed out that with that guy's wealth and power, he could probably just pay a professional killer. Frustrated, he made wild swipes at his imagination as though it was just in front of him. 

When he heard the whispered murmurs around him, he finally noticed that he probably looked like a lunatic. Already, he was receiving a few strange looks from the people walking around him. He hurried along. 

Finally getting to his locker, he stalled for a moment. 'Calm down, Duo Maxwell! You can't let the possibility of receiving a red piece of paper scare you to death! It's just a slip of paper. That's all,' he reminded himself, and took a single deep breath. Steeling himself, he unlocked it and swung it open, nearly jumping away in case anything leapt out suddenly. 

But there was nothing except his books that were lying in the haphazard mess he had left them just yesterday. 

Unbeknownst to himself, Duo let out a relieved sigh. And he set out to take the materials he would need to lessons, whistling a little tune. Just as he was about to go for classes, and look for Midii who had been missing for the whole morning, he heard her timid voice from behind him. 

"Duo…" She almost sounded like she was going to cry. 

He whipped around, and seeing her stricken face, began to fear the worst. "…What?" 

Midii pointed somewhere behind him apprehensively, biting her lip and frowning deeply. He peered over his shoulder. No one was coming at him. But he did notice that everyone was gawking at him and muttering among themselves. Duo didn't particularly like the one group of guys who were openly leering at his butt, and he gulped. Something was definitely off. If only he could just put his finger on it! 

"What is it?" he tried again. 

She just pointed again, almost unwilling to meet his eyes. But this time, her finger was curled. Realization dawned on him, and he quickly reached for his back. When he felt a crisp paper, he almost didn't want to see it. But he tugged it off his shirt, his eyes shut as his hand brought it in front of him. Peeking through one eye, his worst fears were confirmed. 

It was a friggin' red note from W4. And scrawled behind it was a single sentence. 

'You're finished.' 

Sorceress Fantasia @ 3rd October 2003 

Last beta-ed 24th October 2003 


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Can't Help Myself Part 3 

Author: Sorceress Fantasia 

Pairings: 2+5, 5+S, Solo+2, eventual 1+2 and various others 

Warnings: AU, fusion fic, OOC-ness, sappiness at times, some angst, OCs, language 

Archive: Lev's Lair 

Fanfiction.net 

MediaMiner 

Disclaimer: I tried to lure Duo over to my place with a trail of food, but Heero lured him away with some strawberries and whipped cream. Currently, I'm trying to lose the weight I got from eating all the food Duo didn't eat, so I don't have the time to come up with another plot to get the GW boys. Therefore, I do not own the GW boys or the anime. I own this little ficcy though. 

Note: Fusion with a drama serial called 'Meteor Garden', which is actually an adaptation from a manga called Hana Yori Dango. Some names have been changed however. 

Life was getting intolerable, Duo decided. He slumped against the wall, feeling his feet giving way and he slid down. Staring at the trees surrounding him, he reasoned that this was the little strip of space between the main school garden and a school building. Well, he was somewhere within the university. He just didn't know exactly where. It wasn't a priority when he was busy running away from everyone. 

He would be safe here, at least for a while. Surely, no one would be so eager to trek through the trees just to get to him. If it weren't for the fact that he needed to get away, even he wouldn't do that. 

Duo tried to catch his breath, his head bowed low. Water continued to drip off from his bangs. When a small breeze blew across, he shivered. He was wet all over, a million thanks to the water bombs his schoolmates had thrown at him earlier on. Well, at least it was just plain water, if not a little dirty. 

It was a hundred million times better than what the other pranksters had done to him. 

He still remembered the day he had gotten the red bomb, each and every one of his teachers had picked him out, gave him a severe dressing down, and chased him out of class. One of them was better, but she had still made him stand at the back of the classroom for the entire period. The worst was definitely Mr. Roberts, who had torn up his assignment for no plausible reason at all, chucked it into the trashcan, and demanded that he redo the whole damn thing ten times over. 

That was just the teachers. 

The only time he went to the canteen for a bite, he had slumped down at an empty table, and found himself unable to run away because some joker and taken the effort to wipe the table and bench with superglue. So once he sat down, his arms and pants were promptly stuck. Then, someone ran over, lit up a firecracker, and threw it in front of him on the table. 

After that, Duo ate his meals in the darkest corners he could find. 

When he went to the toilet, and ran into the cubicle in case some jerks came in and saw tried to give him trouble again, some bastard locked the door. From the outside. And he had to climb out from the top eventually. 

And sometimes, when he was just walking down the corridors, someone would just mysteriously materialize and push him onto the ground. Duo could just hear the evil cackling of everyone around him. 

No one dared to talk to him anymore. All of his friends pretended that they didn't know him when they saw him, and some even joined in the pranks. Even Midii didn't dare to look at him. And those who didn't care much for him in the first place, like Relena and Dorothy, took a perverse pleasure in snubbing and insulting him every chance they could. 

Of course, on the few occasions where he had stumbled upon Heero Yuy, the bastard seemed to enjoy taunting him. And every time he would ask Duo, "You're still around?" The other three members of W4 didn't do anything to him. Basically, Wufei thought he didn't exist, Quatre cast sympathetic looks, and Trowa just whistled in awe. 

It was amazing how much a red slip of paper had completely changed his life. 

Duo sighed, and swept his wet bangs aside. The water kept flowing into his eyes. Maybe it would be better if he just skipped his afternoon lessons and go home now. Yeah, he would do just that. Then, he heard footsteps approaching and he snapped his head up. 

To his surprise, it was Midii. She stood alone before him, biting her lip and frowning, just like she had the day Duo received that silly red note. Without a word, she shoved something into his hands and sprinted away. 

It hurt to see her avoiding him so blatantly. After all, he had gotten into all this shitload of trouble for her sake. But he knew he shouldn't blame her. Life as an outcast and victim of all pranks known to mankind just wasn't for a girl. Even a guy like Alex had quit. 

Duo stared at the little teddy bear in his hands. He pushed the button on its back, and Midii's soft voice floated out. 

"I'm sorry." 

He pushed it again. 

"I'm sorry." 

"I'm sorry." 

"I'm sorry." 

He felt an unfamiliar stinging sensation in his eyes, and he wiped angrily at them. Midii's voice continued. 

Then suddenly, someone dumped water on him again and he shouted, "What the hell!?" Looking up at where the water had come from, he felt himself boiling over when he saw a few guys pointing at him and guffawing loudly. One of them was flailing a red bucket. 

Rage couldn't start to describe what he was feeling. Duo took off, running for the one and probably the only place he liked on the entire campus. Some people saw him, and maybe some even wanted to play another prank on him again, but they were deterred by one look on his face. 

The door to the rooftop flung open, and Duo ran onto the rooftop. The air was fresh here. No one was going to harass him here. He was safe. Staring off into the horizon, he shouted, "Bastard W4! May you all rot in hell! Go to hell and friggin' stay there for eternity! Don't ever come back! You're inhuman! Assholes! Bastards! Cold blooded, evil, malicious bastards!" 

Whoever told him that shouting would make him feel better was definitely a sage. Instantly, Duo felt a whole lot better, although his throat was hurting and he was slightly out of breath. Just a minute, and he would shout more. 

"Why have you stopped?" 

Oh shit. Someone had heard all that. Duo spun around, and gasped at whom he saw. If this didn't get him into more trouble, he didn't know what would. 

Wufei gazed at him impassively through his obsidian eyes, his hands stuck deep in his pockets. He didn't even flinch when Duo backed away. Almost too casually, he sauntered over. 

"You're right, you know? All those you shouted about us today and the other day… they're all probably right," Wufei murmured. Then he handed Duo a handkerchief. "You're all wet. Dry yourself or you'll fall sick." 

Duo took it dumbly, eyes blinking like a confused kitten. 

Then Wufei turned and left the rooftop silently, just like he had never been there. 

Looking at the closed door, Duo tilted his head, knitting his brows together. When he was sure no one else was around or coming out to the rooftop, his eyes fell onto the handkerchief in his hands. Slowly, he dabbed it at his face. 

"Thanks…" 

***** 

When he got to Deathscythe, Duo wanted to go back to the rooftop and shout again. What the hell-?! Who was the mentally unsound jerk who had deflated the wheels!? For god's sake, the whole prank thing was getting too much. And not a single person was on his side, damn it! Then he shook his head. No, maybe, just maybe, Wufei was. At least, he had never done a single bad thing to him before. 

Sighing to himself, Duo slowly pushed his motorbike out of school and began to trek home. He would be genuinely lucky if he could get back by 10pm, provided that nothing else happened to him. 

Just then, his keen ears picked up the engine of a car close by. Turning around, he noticed the sleek silver sports car driving over, and it stopped when it was just beside him. 

Heero removed his blue sunglasses, and threw Duo a poised smirk. The jerk was dressed in the most expensive of clothes, and the smell of leather, a sign that the car was new, almost overwhelmed Duo. He was suddenly self-conscious, but he didn't look down at what he was wearing or at his poor bike. 

Duo had to stop himself from punching that hateful face when Heero took a quick once-over at him, nearly laughing out loud at how pathetic he was now. 

"I have a piece of good news and a piece of bad news for you. The good news is: I admire you for your perseverance. No one has ever stayed on in school for over six days after they receive our red note," he remarked nonchalantly, still staring intently at Duo. "The bad news is well, I'm just going to double up my efforts at making you leave. Good luck; you're going to need it." 

And then he promptly drove off, after sliding his sunglasses over his eyes again. The car left a trail of dust, and quickly disappeared. 

For a moment, Duo kept mum, and just stared at the end of the road. Deathscythe leaned heavily against him, still completely quiet. Then he shouted, "YOU BASTARD!" 

***** 

Heero lounged comfortably on the cafeteria's large plush chair, letting the air-conditioned air whisper across his skin. It was such a hot day. Even the chilling drink he was gulping wasn't helping much. 

"You're losing your touch, Heero," Trowa gloated, sipping at his own drink. "Duo's still here after a week. Most of the people who has received our red note disappear after the third day." 

"He's good," Quatre commented, almost wide-eyed. "When I first saw him, I thought he was a goner. I mean, he didn't exactly strike me as the strong-minded type. Who'd have thought he'd stay on so long?" 

Wufei was characteristically quiet, slouching into his chair like he wasn't paying attention to his surroundings. But his friends didn't care much about that, because they knew it was just how Wufei was. 

Heero snorted, setting down his drink on the little table beside. "He won't be around for long. From now on, the pranks are going to double. I've already given my orders to everyone," he answered. Then something seemed to occur to him, and he added, "I just don't understand why Relena and Dorothy seemed to be extremely happy about that. Any idea what Duo did to them?" 

"Why? Are you worried about him?" Trowa replied, lips slightly curled. 

"Don't be stupid, Trowa!" he snapped harshly, "I'm just curious." Even though he was saying that, Heero felt a strange twinge inside him. It was probably admiration, he reasoned with himself. Just like Trowa had just stated, Duo was the only person to be able to last six days. This was already the seventh. 

But the brown-haired boy just shrugged and grinned wider, like he knew something Heero didn't. 

For some reason, Heero felt his authority undermined. "Let's make a bet then." 

"On what?" 

"That I can make Duo give in to me." 

"Deal. The loser has to buy drinks for the whole night." 

"Deal." 

Quatre sighed, "You two are really getting into this, aren't you?" 

Wufei still hadn't said a word, but he heard the door swing open, just as the rest of them did. He didn't turn to see who it was. He had a feeling that it was the boy his two friends had just betted on. 

He was right. Duo marched in, his posture confident for the first time in days. Everyone in the cafeteria gaped at him, shocked at how stupid he was, walking right into W4. It was worst than a moth flying into the flames! At least that was instincts, something innate. What Duo was doing was just plain stupidity. Trowa and Quatre blinked; no one had ever dared to strut right up to Heero Yuy and not flinch. Oh, Heero had surely met his match, this time! They gave each other a knowing glance, eager to know how it was going to play out. 

Heero stared evenly at the boy walking towards him, his face deadpanned. But that strange surge of feelings, the one that always came whenever he thought of Duo recently, was making his heart pound. He just didn't understand why. When Duo smirked at him, the feelings intensified. 

But suddenly, he felt Duo slap something onto his forehead. He was about to yell, but Duo beat him to it. 

"Heero Yuy, don't think I'm afraid of you. I hereby announce that I'm going to war with you," Duo declared, voice self-assured and loud enough for the whole cafeteria to hear. With another grin, he sauntered out. 

Suddenly, the whole place was bustled with whispers and murmurs, everyone pointing at the crazy person who had dared challenge the most powerful man in school. 

Quatre and Trowa just stared in awe and amusement, while Wufei raised an eyebrow. Heero blinked, and gazed on dumbly at Duo's retreating back. 

Sorceress Fantasia @ 3rd October 2003 

Last beta-ed 24th October 2003 


	4. Chapter 4

Title: Can't Help Myself Part 1 

Author: Sorceress Fantasia 

Pairings: 2+5, 5+S, Solo+2, eventual 1+2 and various others 

Warnings: AU, fusion fic, OOC-ness, sappiness at times, some angst, OCs 

Archive: Finally Fantasia ()

Lev's Lair 

Fanfiction.net 

Disclaimer: I tried to lure Duo over to my place with a trail of food, but Heero lured him away with some strawberries and whipped cream. Currently, I'm trying to lose the weight I got from eating all the food Duo didn't eat, so I don't have the time to come up with another plot to get the GW boys. Therefore, I do not own the GW boys or the anime. Neither do I own any of the brand names mentioned in this fic, or even the drama series this fic is fused with. I own this little ficcy though. 

Note: Fusion with a drama serial called 'Meteor Garden', which is actually an adaptation from a manga called Hana Yori Dango. Some names have been changed however. 

Thanx to Duo-chan for beta-ing! ^^

Glowering at the metal chain that was keeping Deathscythe in place, Duo willed it to spontaneously combust. It had only been a day since he had challenged W4 publicly, and now, the pranksters were locking up his motorbike. Jerks… Sighing jadedly, he knelt down to survey the shackles. Nope, they were made of metal. It wouldn't come off with just a pull or two. He needed a saw… or something else equally sharp to cut it off. 

And where would he find one in a university where no one dared to help him? 

Oh well, he might as well walk home now and bring a chainsaw to school tomorrow. He could probably use that chainsaw and saw up a few… jerks as well, he snorted. Just what was the problem with Heero Yuy? Petty, arrogant, self-indulgent Heero Yuy… Duo groaned again. 

"Hey, you need some help?" 

A voice rang out from behind him, and Duo whirled around. His eyes narrowed when he found that he couldn't recognize the two guys offering help. He had never seen them around the campus before. But then again, he probably had never had the time to really stroll about and recognize everyone. It was a luxury one couldn't afford when one led a hectic life, always escaping and running away. Maybe these two didn't recognize that he was Duo Maxwell too, the guy W4 was trying to expel. But then again, it didn't seem too bloody likely; almost everyone, he was sure, had joined in the pranks. 

"Yeah… my bike's been chained up," he muttered, standing up warily. Then the two guys leered blatantly at him, and Duo knew there was definitely something wrong. 

"Well, we could help… if you give us something." 

Duo backed away, getting ready to run. Already, his mind was formulating an escape route. "What?" 

"Oh, nothing much. Just a little fun time," one of them said, quickly advancing. Duo thought that he resembled a wolf on the prowl, ready to pounce and eat him up. And there wouldn't be a bone left behind. 

All hell broke loose. Duo yelped and took off, with the two guys rapidly chasing after him. Even as he was running, his uncooperative stomach reminded him that he had not eaten lunch. And he had been running frequently for days, enough to wear him down and take a toll on his stamina. Running alone would not save him. Still, he gritted his teeth and dashed on. He wasn't sure if he wanted to know what the two guys had in store for him. 

It wasn't too long before he reached the school building again. While it seemed to be common sense for him to run to somewhere more crowded, it was already rather late and the school halls were practically deserted. Moreover, Duo wasn't even sure if anyone would take the risk of incurring W4's wrath and help him. So he took the next best thing and tried to run for the office. He didn't shout, fully aware that no one would come to his rescue anyway. Instead, he chose to sprint even harder although his lungs were already burning up. For a while, he heard only the rush of his blood and the wind howling by his ears. 

But something tripped him, and he felt himself fall. Bracing himself for what was to come, he shut his eyes and hoped for the best. Maybe he still had a chance if he got up immediately and started to run again. However, the impact was still bad enough to leave him slightly disoriented. And he knew that it was a fatal mistake the moment the two guys caught up. 

Instantaneously, he felt himself pinned down onto the concrete ground, and then there was a heavy weight on his hips. Duo nearly screamed when he noticed one guy looming over him, straddling him, lips still caught in a raunchy leer. He tried to move his hands, but the other guy effectively locked them down. 

"What are you doing!? Let me go!" he shouted, thrashing around as hard as he could. But it was no good. He was really trapped this time. And no one was going to save him. 

"Oh, don't play coy, now. Everyone knows that you've been with loads of guys," one guy cooed. "Don't worry, we'll be gentle with you." 

Duo felt his blood turn cold, his heart sinking. Someone was spreading rumours about him, and he probably had a bad name by now, if not because of offending W4. But he didn't care. Not now. He needed to get away! But he was no match for the combined strength of two men, and he could hardly feel his arms already. He wouldn't be able to escape on his own. He needed someone! He needed a savior! He would be eternally indebted to whoever saved him! Please! 

"What are you two doing?" 

The two guys gasped, and quickly jumped off of Duo. One of them stammered, "We were just teasing him…" 

Wufei looked at them blankly, and they felt the temperature fall rapidly. Already, they could feel the sharpness of those eyes, of that gaze, of that posture. But there was no logic to the action. W4 had issued the red note, which meant that everyone could do whatever he or she liked to Duo Maxwell. Still, they knew that Chang Wufei never played by the rules. 

"Scram," Wufei commanded, and they quickly scampered off, thankful that he wasn't going to do anything to them. Then he turned to Duo, who had already gotten into a sitting position and still slightly disheveled. 

Duo curled into himself, burying his face in his bent knees. His shoulders shook, and he felt his entire body tremble. The fear that had planted itself into his heart was still spreading, despite the fact that he was probably already safe. It was still cold. Then he remembered the reason why he was in such a bad situation, and anger caught hold of him again. He felt himself seethe, and his fists tightened. At that moment, Duo knew that he was going to get even with Heero Yuy if it was the last thing he did. Just then, he felt a movement beside him, and he looked up curiously. 

It was Wufei, and he was leaning against the wall doing a handstand. Even though he was upside down, his face still held a stoic expression. When he noticed that Duo's attention was finally on him, he said, "When I was younger, a friend once told me that if you wanted to cry and the tears were about to fall… just do a handstand. Then… your tears won't fall. Do you understand?" Then he flipped back over, and his feet were on the ground again. 

Despite the shock that was still grappling him, Duo sniffled and nodded. 

"Stop crying. Go on home now," Wufei murmured, and he thrust another handkerchief at him. Then he walked away. 

Staring at the rapidly disappearing figure, Duo clutched onto the piece of cloth in his hands. It was warm, just like his heart now. For the first time since he'd received the red note, he felt safe and secure. 

***** 

Heero walked down the school corridor alone. His three friends were all currently missing, and he couldn't find them. Well, that was Wufei's style, since he enjoyed being alone sometimes. Quatre and Trowa were probably in a bar somewhere, skipping lessons for the day. 

He shrugged it off. They would find him if they needed. Right now, he was going to find a quiet corner and chill out. Then, he found his mind wandering to someone else. 

Duo Maxwell. Never had he in his entire life met such a stubborn person. From what he knew and saw, the whole school was having loads of fun and putting in effort to torturing Duo's life. On a few occasions, he had come across Duo dripping wet with water and still, all that hadn't put out the flame burning inside him. It was like he never gave up in spite of everything. Definitely hardheaded and spirited, Heero mused. 

After nearly a week of torment and pranks, Duo was still tough enough to come right up to him and slap his own version of a red note on his forehead. It'd been ages since he had met someone who didn't cower before him, or tried to butter him up. Duo was so different. 

And then there were his looks. Those violet eyes seemed to always burn with an inner fire, filled with spirit and temper. Other eyes twinkled, sparkled, even shimmered, but Duo's reflected the world as he saw it. He was real. All of his actions were real, and not a dramatized act that could win him an Oscar. And Duo's lips! So pink and full. So plush. From his lips came words that described what he really felt, words of a feisty youth who would not bow to anyone. And there was that rope of long, chestnut hair that always swung like a mesmerizing pendulum. Guys didn't have hair that long, or that silky. But Duo did. 

Heero growled and tried to shake the thoughts off. Just what the hell was he thinking of? 

Suddenly, he felt a shove from his side. "What the-!?" 

"Heero Yuy! Have you no shame!?" 

It was Duo, and he was scowling deeply at him. Heero looked into the violet orbs, and he shivered inside. For a while, he thought the strange feelings would overwhelm him. But his inner self kicked in, and he glared hard at the boy who had dared offend him time and time again. 

"What was that for?" 

"You know exactly what you did! Aren't you ashamed of yourself for doing that!?" Duo yelled, and shoved him again. 

"What did I do!?" 

"To think you're from high society! You actually hired two guys to come after me! They nearly…!" 

Heero winced at the frustrated punches Duo was throwing at him, and he grabbed hold of his hands tightly. For someone as petite as Duo, he was certainly strong. "But I didn't-" he paused, suddenly remembering that he had indeed paid two guys to scare Duo. He had ordered them to scare him as much as possible so he would leave school, but there were no specifics. 

"What did they do to you?" Heero asked, heart plummeting. Nothing he tried thus far had managed to scare Duo so much. It had to be truly atrocious, something a normal person would have cried at. 

The braided boy huffed harshly, "You actually want me to spell it out for you?" He tried to pull his hands away, but Heero's grasp was simply too strong. Trying again, Duo huffed when he could not get away still, "Let go of me!" 

"Did they hurt you? Are you hurt? I'll kill them…" Heero whispered back harshly as a rush of protectiveness welled up in him. He didn't know why he was feeling this way, but it just felt right. Even though another part of him was questioning his reaction. After all, he was out to chase Duo out of the school. But at that moment, Heero just wanted to keep Duo safe. 

"Stop shedding those crocodile tears! And leave me alone!" Duo snapped, and delivered a kick to Heero's shins. When the grasp on his hands loosened, he quickly tugged his hands free and stormed away. 

***** 

Traipsing up the stairs, Duo felt his heart lighten. That would show Heero Yuy that he wasn't going to surrender that easily. And to think he actually managed to kick that jerk once. Oh, he definitely felt loads better. 

Pushing the door to the rooftop open, he peered around. No one was around. Duo scratched his head, pouting. 'Where is he? He's usually here at this time of the day…' he mused, scanning the area again just in case. But there was still no one else about. 

With a sigh, he went down again. And then he heard it, the whiny note of a violin. It was soft, but still audible. Duo had never liked the instrument before; the music it produced was too sharp and dramatic. And much too high class for him to truly appreciate, he reasoned. But this time, he couldn't help but tread towards the source of the music flowing into the corridor. It was melodious, soothing, peaceful even. 

Slowly, he followed the music to an isolated room, and he carefully opened the door to a creak to peer in. To his surprise, it was Wufei, and he was standing alone in the middle of a small podium playing his song. There was no stand before him to hold his scores, and only a black violin case lay beside him. For a while, Duo thought that he was a street performer, playing to an audience that constantly moved along, never stopping long to toss a token into the case. Almost like nobody gave him a second glance. 

But Duo knew the truth. If Wufei had been playing on the streets, the world would stop to listen. He did. And perhaps, somehow, he had already known who the violinist that had captured his ears was. The music blended in perfectly with Wufei's seemingly tranquil personality and stolid façade. 

When the last note trailed off, he couldn't help but applaud. Cautiously, he entered the room. "Hi," he said, managing a small wave of his hand. 

Wufei gazed up, noticing his presence for the first time. For a long drawn-out, excruciating moment, he kept quiet. Picking up his violin case, he stowed his instrument away. "What are you doing here?" 

"You weren't at the rooftop when I… tried to look for you there," Duo explained a little hesitantly. "I just wanted to thank you… for your help yesterday." 

"You don't have to thank me," Wufei replied, already turning to leave. Casting a backward glance, he muttered, "I just happened to be there." And then he was gone almost like he had never been there. 

***** 

Duo stepped out of the school compound, sighing. He had naively thought that maybe Wufei would be nicer to him, having saved him before. It didn't seem like it, however. In fact, the raven-haired boy was still as aloof as ever. Distant, detached and frosty Wufei. Just like an ice prince, he mused. 

He sighed again. Maybe Hirde was right. It was far too easy to be attracted to someone like Wufei. Handsome and gentlemanly… There was always something in those ebony eyes that pulled Duo in. Like a touch of sorrow, a hint of loss… Just what was Wufei upset about? Or did he read him wrongly? After all, Wufei came from a rich family and would probably never encounter all those financial problems like his family. Besides, he was intelligent, handsome and had a group of personal fans. Plus, he had a posse of good friends. 

He just didn't get it. 

Shrugging it off, Duo set off for home. Deathscythe had finally relented to the beckoning of the repair shop, and would probably stay there for a couple of days. In the meantime, Duo would have to take the bus. Strolling to the bus stop, he whistled a little tune. However cold Wufei was being, he had at least acknowledged his presence. And it was already a huge improvement from when they had first met. 

However, it seemed that he was not meant to have his quiet evening. Suddenly, two bulky men, both towering over Duo, stepped in front of him and halted him in his steps. Gut instincts told him that he was in trouble again, so he just turned tail and run. There was no way he was going to have a repeat of the other day! 

Still, he felt hands grabbed at his waist and lift him off the ground. Thrashing around, he started to panic again. But abruptly, something hit his head, and everything went blissfully dark. 

-tbc- 

Sorceress Fantasia @ 29th November 2003 

Last beta-ed 7th December 2003 


	5. Chapter 5

Title: Can't Help Myself Part 5  
Author: Sorceress Fantasia  
Pairings: 2+5, 5+S, Solo+2, eventual 1+2 and various others  
Warnings: AU, fusion fic, OOC-ness, sappiness at times, some angst, OCs, language  
Archive: Finally Fantasia ()  
Lev's Lair ()  
Amy Mizuno's Little Gundam Wing Page ()  
Fanfiction.net   
Disclaimer: I tried to lure Duo over to my place with a trail of food, but Heero lured him away with some strawberries and whipped cream. Currently, I'm trying to lose the weight I got from eating all the food Duo didn't eat, so I don't have the time to come up with another plot to get the GW boys. Therefore, I do not own the GW boys or the anime. I own this little ficcy though.  
Note: Fusion with a drama serial called 'Meteor Garden', which is actually an adaptation from a manga called Hana Yori Dango. Some names have been changed however.  
Thanx to Duo-chan for beta-ing! ^^  
  
  
Duo blinked, hands reaching for his abused head unconsciously. It felt as though a herd of rhinoceros had gone against a herd of elephants playing soccer inside his mind. Simply put, it hurt like hell.  
  
"Hey! Don't move! You're messing up your hair!"  
  
He blinked harder. Just where was he? He remembered something hitting his head… Duo bolted up immediately, trying to get away from whoever it was close to him, but he found himself sitting on a cushioned chair. When his eyes focused, he noticed a few girls were surrounding him, holding a whole array of things ranging from nail filers to a hairbrush.  
  
"Who are you? Where am I? Why am I here?" Duo yelled, shrinking back in surprise.  
  
Somehow, the girls seemed to finally have noticed his shock and one of them took a step forward, her hands held up as though surrendering. The rest of them just cringed and huddled together.  
  
"Erm, don't worry. We're just here to make you look pretty! As to why you're here, it's because… erm… We don't know. You were just brought here, and we've been given explicit orders to pretty you up. We were given an hour to finish everything, and then you're supposed to meet our young master," she said carefully.  
  
"Young master?" Duo cocked his head, peering at the girls through narrowed slits.  
  
She nodded. "You'll know when you see him. Now, there's just half an hour left for our session. Can you…?"  
  
It was as though she was Bambi, batting her teary doe eyes and looking hopeful. Duo grimaced, almost feeling guilty. Then he peered at the rest of the girls behind her, and knew that he had lost the battle. All of them were doing either a Bambi or Tweety Bird imitation, eyes teary and lips wobbling. Duo knew there was one reason he didn't like girls.  
  
Sighing, he nodded. And one by one, the girls walked up to him again to start working again.  
  
*****  
  
Duo felt strangely conscious of himself suddenly, as he stood in front of the room which he had been led to after his make over session. His hair was brushed to its silky glory, and woven into a neat French braid that seemed to have a life of its own. His fingernails had been carefully polished and filed, and his face felt really clean after that facial one of the girls gave him. He felt the knots in his body had been loosened too, and he wondered if one of them had given him a quick massage before he woke up. And his clothes! The girls had told him that all of them were branded stuff, but he had never heard of, much less worn any of them before. He straightened his shirt again.  
  
Then a servant opened the door, and he was led into a luxurious room that looked bigger than his own living room and dining room put together. When Duo was finally left alone in the room, he took a moment to appreciate the beauty and the obvious amount of money put into it. The carpeted floor was giving him a fuzzy feeling between his toes, and how he wished he could just jump into that large bed to feel its softness. Paintings and other art pieces adorned the tables and walls.  
  
He felt unsure himself again. Just who was this young master all the girls were talking about? Why would someone this rich, and obviously rather educated -considering he probably had an artistic eye with all the art pieces lying around-, want to meet him? And if this young master was indeed as rich and educated as he had imagined, then why in the world would he kidnap him?  
  
"I see that you're impressed with my room."  
  
That voice! Duo spun around, gasping when he saw Heero Yuy standing at the door and looking very smug. It seemed that nothing could look bad on Heero, and Duo found himself admiring just how handsome the man was. But then again -he reminded himself- this was the leader of W4, the head of all jerks in school.  
  
"This is your house? Wait a minute. You have a beauty salon in your house?" Duo looked positively shocked.  
  
Heero shrugged as though that was a given. He advanced towards Duo, scrutinizing him as though he was a product to be bought. Apparently satisfied, he smirked lopsidedly.   
  
"Those things can do wonders for one's looks, don't you think? They've even managed to make you look good," he said, although he knew better. Duo looked good even before the session. The girls in the salon just managed to enhance Duo's beauty. And nothing in the world could ever give Duo that natural grace in his every movement.  
  
Duo frowned. "What are you doing? I could charge you with kidnapping!"  
  
"There's no ransom note, and why would I want to kidnap you? It's not like you've got the money to pay me," Heero noted dryly.  
  
"Then why?"  
  
"Well, I find you a very interesting person. And looks wise, you don't look too bad," he said, lifting Duo's head with a finger to peer into the violet eyes. But Duo swatted his hand away irritably. Heero took a step back, looking as confident as ever. "I want you to be my lover. In school, you'll tag along behind me wherever I go and never defy me. Outside, I'll call when I want you around. I'll pay you well, Duo."  
  
Duo had to forcibly hold himself back. "What do you take me for? A whore? Some kept boy at your beck and call?" he asked angrily. "I will not sell myself and my pride to you at any price, you jerk!" And he stormed out of his room, shoving Heero aside.  
  
Heero blinked. He couldn't remember a time when someone had rejected his offer of money. And just what was so bad about being his lover? Duo would be able to enjoy a luxurious life he had never imagined, and besides, it was an easy job. He just had to surrender to him. And on top of all that, no one would dare mess around with him again.  
  
He sighed, brushing a hand through his messy locks. No matter how lovely Duo looked, he was doing this just to win his bet with Trowa. It was just that, and nothing more.  
  
But, his mind wondered, what had possessed him to ask Duo to be his lover instead of just his subordinate?  
  
*****  
  
The rooftop was officially his favorite place in the entire university compound, Duo thought. The idea of walking through the corridors was still rather dreadful, for he was still the victim of a lot of pranks. But it had been a while since receiving that red note, and things had simmered down quite a bit already. Still, meeting Heero Yuy was a possibility if he walked through the school, and he had no intention of seeing that jerk ever again. He was still fuming over the audacity of him propositioning him to be his lover.  
  
He snorted again.  
  
Pushing the door open, Duo stepped out into the rooftop. There was sunlight shining down on him, and everything felt warm. His eyes darted around, and they sparkled when he found Wufei sitting on a ledge, near the edge of the building. Suppressing that little smile that was threatening to surface, he shuffled up to the ledge as well.  
  
"Hi, Wufei."  
  
"Hi, Duo." The Chinese boy smiled.  
  
Duo bit back a gasp. Was it just him, or was Wufei in a good mood today? It wasn't like him to answer, and to smile so gently at him? But Duo honestly didn't care; he just thanked his lucky stars.  
  
"It's a great day to be outside, isn't it?"  
  
Wufei nodded. "Yeah, it is. The weather is lovely today. It feels good to have the sun shining on you."  
  
"Right," Duo answered, not willing to say anything more or risk spoiling Wufei's apparent good mood. Besides, the weather was too good to be wasted on mindless conversations that they both could do without. He peered out into the horizon, hoping for the day to stay a little longer so he could be beside Wufei a while more.  
  
*****  
  
Relena glanced sideways at her best friend, smirking. "Are you recording all this down?"  
  
Dorothy nodded faintly, grinning as well. Looking at the two people lounging under the sun on the rooftop through the screen of her video camera, she replied, "Of course I am. I'm sure we can find this of some use soon… Now keep quiet, or Wufei will catch us."  
  
She nodded, and looked intently at the screen. If she could, she would go right up to Duo and push him down the building. It was so unfair of him to hoard all of W4's attention. Relena pouted. Ever since Duo had gotten that red note, W4 kept observing him from a distance. Heero had recently, on some occasions, even rescued Duo from some of the meaner pranks. And Wufei was letting Duo get too close to him as well.  
  
It was just so unfair.  
  
*****  
  
Duo was practically prancing around the school compound. Just the opportunity to be closer to Wufei was making him feel as though on cloud nine, and he smiled contentedly again at that thought. Maybe both he and Hirde were wrong. Not everyone in W4 was as bad as he had imagined. At least, Wufei was gentle and kind. After all, he had saved him before.  
  
"Hey Duo!"  
  
He spun around. "Dorothy? Relena?"  
  
The two girls walked up to him, holding what seemed like a magazine in their hands. Duo didn't like that self-assured grin on both of their faces. It felt as though they were up to no good, and Duo had no intention of becoming their victim. But it wasn't exactly polite to just run away now.  
  
"We just thought that you'd like to see this," Relena said, holding out a magazine.  
  
Duo regarded her suspiciously, but took it from her. It was one of those magazines for the rich people, he noted as he saw its name. And on the cover was a woman smiling serenely, her azure blue eyes radiating gentleness. There was something about the way she looked too, reminding Duo of the elegance of a swan.  
  
"See this woman? That's Sally Po, Wufei's sweetheart. She's the heiress to the Po Enterprises, and just in case you didn't know, Po Enterprises is ranked number seven in terms of annual turnover in our country. What are you compared to her? And you have the guts to even try to get close to Wufei?" Dorothy gloated, cackling.   
  
Beside her, Relena sniggered as well.  
  
Duo held onto the magazine, fists clenched so tightly it was becoming crumpled. They were… right, even though he didn't want to admit it. He was just some poor little boy whose parents were paying through their noses just to let him stay in university, and Wufei was the heir to one of the richest men in the country. His sweetheart should be someone like him, as rich and as well-bred… someone like Sally Po.  
  
"What do you two think you're doing?"  
  
*****  
  
Heero sighed. It was getting difficult finding Duo lately, ever since the day he had so nicely ordered his servants to bring him to his house. Was Duo avoiding him? He frowned when he felt uneasy at that thought, and glanced around for the braided boy again. Just where was he?  
  
Snarling, he grabbed an unfortunate passerby's collar and asked, "Have you seen Duo?"  
  
The boy quickly shook his head, "No… no… I haven't seen him around."  
  
Heero sighed almost harshly, and pushed the boy away before walking away to continue his search. Then he heard Dorothy's distinctive shrill voice, and turned to her direction. He felt his protective instincts kick in again at the sight of the two blonde girls talking to Duo, knowing very well that nothing good ever came out of their mouths. They were probably talking down to Duo again, judging from the way his head was hung low.  
  
"What do you two think you're doing?" he growled, walking up to them. From the corner of his eye, he noticed Duo's frown deepening and he vaguely wondered why.  
  
Relena flinched at Heero's irritated expression, and quickly ducked behind her friend. Dorothy just shrugged in what she hoped was a casual gesture. Heero Yuy was well known for his temper that could well match the anger of a volcano. But there was no reason for him to be angry now, was there? After all, it was Heero's idea to torture Duo.  
  
"Well, we were just showing him our latest magazine… It seems that he doesn't quite like it," she said cautiously.  
  
Heero's eyes were cold enough to make her shiver.   
  
"Scram. Now," he spat.  
  
That was enough to send the two girls away after Relena grabbed her magazine back from Duo. Heero turned to Duo after they were gone, not too happy about how upset he seemed to be.  
  
"You okay?" he asked tentatively.  
  
"Go away. I don't need your sympathy. And don't you dare rub it in," Duo snarled and stalked off as well.  
  
Heero was tempted to go after him, but something held him back. He wasn't eager to plunge himself into something he wasn't sure of. Like… just what was making him feel this way? What was so special about Duo that he couldn't help but want to get close to him?  
  
He was going to check it out. Heero Yuy hated not knowing.  
  
-tbc-


	6. Chapter 6

Title: Can't Help Myself Part 6

Author: Sorceress Fantasia

Pairings: 2/5, 5/S, Solo/2, eventual 1/2 and various others

Warnings: AU, fusion fic, OOC-ness, sappiness at times, some angst, OCs, language

Disclaimer: I tried to lure Duo over to my place with a trail of food, but Heero lured him away with some strawberries and whipped cream. Currently, I'm trying to lose the weight I got from eating all the food Duo didn't eat, so I don't have the time to come up with another plot to get the GW boys. Therefore, I do not own the GW boys or the anime. I own this little ficcy though.

Note: Fusion with a drama serial called 'Meteor Garden', which is actually an adaptation from a manga called Hana Yori Dango. Some names have been changed however.

Thanx to Lily Kalanoa for beta-ing!

"Young master, if you see him holding hands with someone else, what will you do? A: Walk away, B: Confront him about it, or C: Ignore him."

Heero raised an eyebrow at the options he was given. "D: punch the hell out of the other guy."

Butler Jay gulped, grabbing the magazine in front of him harder. It was already scaring him out of his wits that his young master came home flailing some girl's magazine, and demanding him to help him with some sort of quiz. And now he was being temperamental… again. Jay sighed inwardly.

"Young master, there is no such option. You have to choose one of the three options the book gives or the quiz results won't be accurate," he tried tentatively, hoping that he could just bolt.

Heero sighed harshly, clenching his fists. "B then."

The other man nodded, and quickly jotted down his response in the quiz book. Noting that that was the last question, he mentally tabulated the scores and highlighted the column Heero should read for his results of the quiz. Handing it over to Heero, he said, "Young master, read the column I highlighted in yellow. That's your results."

The Japanese boy grabbed it fiercely, and gave Jay a glare as though daring him to read his results. The column was rather wordy, and Heero felt irritated just by looking at the amount of text. But he found himself deeply intrigued when he started reading, especially when he got to the part that stated, rather vehemently, that he was definitely attracted to Duo. For a moment, he paused in his reading and let his mind get used to the idea.

He found himself thinking of Duo, reliving the times when he was around the braided boy. Duo was beautiful, high-spirited, energetic and bold. At the same time, he was the only person who had ever rejected money, a feat especially when Duo's family wasn't all that well off. Heero could just imagine the warmth he would feel when Duo snuggled into his arms, and when Duo closed his eyes for a kiss or even… he blushed inwardly. Oh yeah, his body answered quite clearly that he was definitely attracted to that braided boy.

Heero continued reading, hoping that the book would hide the blush on his face. Then he scowled when the magazine stated that he was bound to chase Duo away from him with his temper and violent tendencies, no matter how much they could be in love. Gnashing his teeth, he slammed the magazine onto the table.

"Young master! Are you okay?" Jay asked.

"This is trash!" Heero yelled, ready to order the servants to toss the magazine away. Then he remembered that it had said that his temper would be his undoing in his relationship with Duo, and he suppressed his anger. "Jay, do I have a very nasty temper?"

Jay gulped again. This was the type of question that everyone in the world hated to answer and would like nothing more than to avoid. But well, this was Heero asking, and one rule of being a butler? Answer your masters, no matter what questions they were. He thought of lying, but he knew that Heero hated liars with a vengeance and he was a bad actor.

"Sometimes, young master," he answered timidly, bracing himself for any punches or kicks that would no doubt, come his way.

But the shower of punches never came. Heero just bit his lips thoughtfully, brows furrowed in concentration. He picked up the magazine again and continued reading. When he got to the part that suggested that he change his image and how he present himself in front of Duo, his eyes took on a determined gleam.

-----

Duo adjusted his book bag on his shoulders and trudged up the stairs. He had a long day ahead of him, and he was not looking forward to Mr. Roberts' classes. Although things had died down very much by now, he was still the victim of W4's red note and that jerk still enjoyed torturing him quite a bit.

And that wasn't the only reason for his sluggishness today. His mind was still, unfortunately, supplying him with images of Sally Po. After seeing her on Relena's magazines, Duo had gone home dejectedly and by some quirk of fate, saw a giant poster of her somewhere. She had been chosen to be an ambassador of sorts (or was that a model for some travel agency?), and that glorious achievement was putting Duo down. Out of sheer curiosity, he had purchased that magazine with Sally as the cover page, and read the cover story. It only served to dishearten him even more. Sally Po was the type of person who achieved straight As for every aspect of her life, academically and otherwise.

How could he ever compare?

Duo sighed, and continued walking on to the library for some research.

"Hey, Duo!"

He turned. "Oh. Hi, Quatre. Hi, Trowa."

The blonde man offered a genuine smile, leaning against the railing near the stairs. Trowa stayed beside him, using his arms to settle himself onto the metal railing instead.

"Are you rushing off somewhere? If you're not, come join us for a little chat. We were just talking about you, actually," Trowa said.

Duo raised an eyebrow, wondering what were they saying about him. He wasn't too sure if he wanted to know, honestly, knowing how close they were to Heero and that Heero didn't like him. But still, Quatre and Trowa had never done anything to him. Perhaps they were nice people, and might even had wanted to help him but didn't due to Heero's temper and their friendship.

"What about me?"

"About how good you are. I think you are the only person to ever survive in Gundam University after receiving a red note from us. We're stilled amazed by that." Trowa chuckled good-naturedly.

Quatre nodded. "And now that it's been so long, I guess you'll do well here. The pranks are stopping, aren't they?"

"They are," Duo agreed. Then a stray idea hit him, and he asked, "Can I ask you about Sally Po? You guys know her right?"

"Sally? Of course we know her. We grew up together, and because she's a little older than us, she was quite protective of us. Kind of fussing over us like a big sister. Right, Quatre?"

"Definitely. But she was closest to Wufei. Heh, Wufei was a loner during his childhood, even when he was with us. He used to stay in a corner by himself while the three of us were playing. For a while, he was so withdrawn I thought he was autistic. But Sally kept encouraging him to talk and to come join us, and the two of them spent a lot of time together."

"Right. I'm pretty sure Wufei has a crush on her even today. And I guess that he'll do something about it when Sally comes back from France next week," Trowa added casually.

Duo frowned lightly, suppressing his urge to stop listening. "She's coming back next week?"

"She just called us a couple days ago to tell us that. It'll be good to see her again after so long. I bet even Heero's excited about that," Quatre noted, sniggering.

Duo had no idea what to say except to smile along, even though he wasn't feeling too good about the whole thing.

-----

He loved the rooftop for one simple reason: it was his territory and few people ever came up here. Heero thought that the place was too warm, and anywhere he didn't approve of, few dared to venture.

Wufei shook his head. It was such inane ideas that made people lose out on the opportunity to see beautiful things.

Suddenly, his cell phone rang out a familiar tune, and he quickly picked it up.

"Hello, Fei? This is Sally."

He smiled uncontrollably. "Sally? Fei here."

"Just calling to let you know that I'll be back even sooner. I decided to take another flight, so I think I'll be back about a few days earlier. Help me tell the others, okay?"

"Okay. Sally… I've missed you."

Her chuckles were pleasant even through the phone. "I've missed you too, Fei. Well, I've got to go now. See you soon. Bye!"

"Bye, Sally."

And the line went silent, but Wufei would not let go. He continued holding onto it like a cherished prize. It had been a long time since he'd seen Sally, and he vaguely reflected on how bland his life was without her. She doted on him so much, taught him so much and perhaps… loved him so much.

He had missed her terribly.

Wufei leapt off the ledge he was sitting on, ready to go back down. He still had lessons actually, and now he was in the mood to go back to class. It didn't matter that he was thirty minutes late. None of the teachers actually cared if he decided to saunter into class late or even if he didn't go at all. Or maybe they were just too intimidated by the idea that his family (along with his friend's families) handed them their paychecks. After all, most of them had heard about a teacher who had been given the boot just two years ago just because she commented offhandedly that she didn't like Heero's attitude in class.

Then the door leading down opened, and Duo popped in. When Duo noticed him, he felt a little smile break out on his face and he waved.

"Hi Wufei!"

"Hi, Duo. Nice day, isn't it? I'd really like to stay here and chat with you, but I've got lessons so I have to go," Wufei replied almost cheerily. Before bounding down the stairs, he pressed his lips against Duo's forehead. "Bye."

If he had turned back, he would have noticed the blush on Duo's face.

-----

Duo decided that fate didn't like him all that much as he walked up the stairs leading to the rooftop. School was giving him hell, and Wufei's would-be girlfriend was coming back next week. If Sally Po was as ugly as she was rich, maybe he wouldn't feel that bad. Nor that threatened. But Sally was definitely an attractive woman with her light-brown locks and azure eyes. And she had such a dazzling smile!

What's more, Duo mused, he had no right to feel even marginally threatened. He wasn't even Wufei's close friend, much less a love interest.

Suppressing a pout that was threatening to break out on his face, he walked onto the rooftop which had, in recent weeks, turned into his sanctuary. It wasn't like the rest of the school compound was out of bounds to him anymore; like Quatre had said, the pranks were almost over with and he was even able to hold a conversation with W4 without needing to run away. Well, except Heero. That was still an enigma he had not yet solved. Sometimes Heero just plain bullied him, but at other times, he seemed to be just really… nice.

And then there was Wufei, number two enigma of the school population. Probably. But Wufei was slightly easier to understand. At least he thought so. Then again, the Chinese boy seemed to love to prove him wrong.

Duo looked up and smiled widely when he spotted Wufei walking towards him. For now, he didn't care if he found it hard to decipher the reason behind Wufei's every action. They were friends, albeit tentatively, and Duo knew he should be contented already.

"Hi Wufei!" he called out, not expecting anything more than just a small nod. He felt his spirits soaring when Wufei responded with a smile and a wave of his hand. Duo's inner self sighed dreamily. It was amazing how someone's little action could make him so elated.

"Hi, Duo. Nice day, isn't it? I'd really like to stay here and chat with you, but I've got lessons so I have to go."

Was it just him, or was Wufei over the moon? Duo could scarcely imagine what could make him so excited. It had to be really good. Before he could ask, however, he felt a soft pressure against his forehead and the warmth of Wufei's body close to him.

It was cliché to say that his heart stilled and his bolts of electrifying thrills coursed through his body, but it did. Vaguely, he heard Wufei leaving and the door closing behind him, but he wasn't sure. It was too difficult to be aware of his surroundings as he slowly touched the spot where Wufei had kissed him so gently.

Feeling a blush spreading across his face like a blossoming flower, Duo didn't bother to stop himself from grinning goofily.

-----

Quatre and Trowa didn't do anything to hide their astonishment. Their jaws were slack like a gaping alligator, their eyes bigger than a goldfish and they could do nothing but stare. Even Wufei raised an eyebrow as he lay lazily on the grass in one of the school's numerous gardens.

Heero gritted his teeth, but the effect was clearly dampened by the deep blush on his face, which coincidentally matched the colour of the t-shirt he was wearing. It was nothing to boast of, really. The red t-shirt was something he had ordered Jay to get from a departmental store which he would never have thought of entering before. But the quiz had told him to change his image in front of Duo, and this was the easiest way to do it.

He saw no other way out. Still, it was fortunate that he had decided to keep his Versace jeans.

"What?" he asked in frustration.

It took a while for Quatre to regain his composure, better known as screwing up his jaws. "Did you get dumped or something and you're currently in the throes of depression?"

"No!"

"Then what's with the cheap t-shirt? It looks like it's been to hell and back."

Heero groaned inwardly. "Shut up. Just shut up about it."

"Heero, is that you?"

Heero blinked, recognizing that voice almost instantly. He spun around, and felt a full-fledged grin tugging insistently at his lips.

"Sally! You're back!"

"Sal!"

"Sally!"

Sally offered a sincere smile, her angelic radiance lighting up those around her almost like the first visage of sunlight piercing through thick grew clouds.

"Heero! Quatre! Trowa!" she called out, her voice honeyed. "I've missed you all! How have all of you been?" Then her eyes settled on the lone figure that had finally stood up from the grass patch he had been sitting on. "Fei? Oh dear, I nearly didn't recognize you! You've grown so tall!"

Wufei gazed at her intently. "Sally…" He said nothing more, and it was as though realization had dawned on him all of a sudden, he retreated into his solitary stance.

But it seemed that all of his friends were too excited by Sally's early return to notice that. Or perhaps they were just too used to Wufei's eccentricity to give it much thought.

"Sally!" We saw the photo you did for the new ambassador position you got! It's so lovely! It really emphasized your neckline," Quatre commented smoothly.

"Yeah," Trowa agreed. "You look fantastic for that shot."

She smiled, knowing that the compliments were heartfelt praises instead of the familiar bootlicking people tried with her to get on her good side and hopefully get something from her. "Thank you. We took a lot of photos that day actually, but we felt that that one was the best. And if you guys think it's that good, it's surely good enough."

Another frown marred Wufei's handsome features like a scar on otherwise unblemished skin. "What's so good about that photo? Sally, don't you think that photo was too sexy?

Heero rolled his eyes. He had seen that photo too; Sally had bared her shoulders for that shot, but that was all. And the photographer had probably thought that she should flaunt her beautiful and flawless neck. Wufei was just being eccentric… again. And perhaps just a tad overprotective, he noted inwardly. It was strangely amusing to see the way Wufei used to cling onto Sally like she were his security blanket, and it was obvious the feelings hadn't changed over the years.

"Admit it, Wufei. You were completely enchanted by the picture; you wouldn't let go of the magazine for days!"

The Chinese boy deigned a reply, and simply folded his arms, looking away. The frown hadn't left his face, however.

"Oh Heero, I nearly forgot. What are you doing, wearing this t-shirt? I almost couldn't recognize you!" Sally asked, clearly perplexed. In her opinion, Heero wearing a cheap t-shirt was like a man refusing water after being trapped in a desert for days.

Amidst Quatre and Trowa's snickers, which Heero's mind registered as evil cackling, he managed to answer despite the redness creeping up his face like a veil. "Can we forget about the t-shirt?"

As the five of them, well four of them since Wufei was ignoring everything around him, continued their light-hearted bantering, no one noticed the lonely shadow that left the tree he had been hiding behind earlier.

-----

Duo sighed. After the day Wufei had planted a gentle kiss on his forehead, he had hoped against all hope that perhaps the Chinese boy actually liked him, or even possibly haboured feelings for him. But once he had laid eyes on Sally Po in person, he could feel his hopes crashing down like the ocean waters beating against the shores.

He had already known just how beautiful she was from the magazine Relena and Dorothy had so helpfully shoved into his face. The perfectly sculptured cheekbones, the fabulous azure eyes that sparkled like water, the sharp nose, the swan neck… There was no doubt to her beauty. Hell, even he had been slightly attracted to the woman when he first saw the magazine cover. But still, the photo did not do her justice. Sally Po was even more magnificent in person; the way she carried herself spelled nothing but grace and elegance. How could he ever hope to compare?

Duo sighed again. Oh well, he knew this was coming. He was the poor little boy who ran amok in the busy market, trying his best to steal a meager apple to feed himself while Sally was the gorgeous princess and Wufei the chivalrous knight. It wasn't even a challenge to guess which two would end up happily ever after. He didn't even come close to the equation, much less be part of it.

Or perhaps he could be the stable boy, looking after the horses in the palace. At least, he was closer to the knight and princess that way. The rest of W4 could be the animals in the stables, he decided haughtily. And suddenly, Duo had a mental image of himself tending to the two horses –one brown with green eyes and one white with a blonde mane- and one jackass which had somehow found its way to the palace stables. It wasn't difficult to tell who was who.

As he laughed quietly to the mental image, he heard someone calling his name and he turned around. Someone was running towards him, and Duo nearly took off but managed to stop himself in time. It was probably a leftover instinct from his number-one-victim-of-pranks-of-all-kinds days earlier.

"Finally! I almost thought… that I had recognized the wrong person!" the newcomer said, panting slightly and his face a little flushed from jogging. Sweeping his dark bangs carelessly, he flashed an impish if worried grin at Duo. "Or have you forgotten me already?"

Duo drew his brows together and bit his lip. Then the grin, something that seemed so distinctive hit him like a truck and he gasped. "Oh my god! Is it you, Solo?"

If it were at all possible, Solo's grin widened, and the trace of worry vanished. He patted his chest, eyes sparkling with confidence and answered, "The one and only! How long has it been, Duo?"

"Since we graduated from secondary school! Man, I never thought I'd see you here! How did you get into Gundam U, anyway?"

Solo's grin turned sheepish as he scratched the back of his head. "Well… dad's got this piece of land my great-grandpa left behind since a really long time ago, and it's just been there gathering dust all these years. But dad suddenly managed to sell it with this exorbitant price tag and he started up his own company. You might have heard of it; Campbell enterprises Inc."

"Campbell Enterprises Inc… After your family name, huh?" Duo asked.

His friend nodded. "I'm not sure about the details but the point is my family's struck it rich. We got this big house and new car… Then dad thought" – he rolled his eyes- "that as the son of a rich man, I should go to a classier school and hopefully, some of the class would rub off on me." He shrugged. "I just transferred here today."

Duo scrunched up his face, and he vaguely wondered if Solo could see the numerous question marks that were floating around his head like in those cartoons. As far as he had remembered, Solo Campbell came from a middle-class family and would sometimes skip lunch to save up. That was some land to have made his family rich. He decided to stop thinking about it.

"Oh, who cares about all that?" He smirked light-heartedly, and gathered his friend into a tight embrace. "Damn but I've missed you!"

"Me too!"

"Come, let's talk over lunch! I'm famished!"

Solo raised an eyebrow. "You're always famished. I swear" –he tugged at the chestnut braid trailing behind Duo- "that you're eating double for all this hair!"

The braided boy snatched his hair back and gave it a protective pat. He made a face at Solo.

"I need lots of protein to keep this baby growing healthily, you know? My shampoo and conditioner just ain't enough." His eyes suddenly lit up. "You haven't been to the canteen, have you? C'mon! I'll take you there!"

And the two friends scampered over to the nearest canteen they could find.

-tbc-


End file.
